[Photo by Kollaboration Media Team]
Seven emerging Asian and Asian American artists competed and rocked NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at the 7th annual premiere talent showcase, Kollaboration New York (KollabNY) last Friday on September 21st. The contestants competed for a chance to win the title of Kollaboration New York 2012 Champion, $1000 cash prize, be the opening act for You-Tube sensations David Choi and Clara C’s New York Tour stop, compete at the Kollaboration Global Show in LA, and a chance to perform at the MNET Asian Music Awards.
Unlike other talent competitions, Kollaboration (founded in 2000) is a media arts non profit organization committed to promoting positive perceptions of Asians and Pacific Islanders by giving an outlet for young artists to showcase their talents. It has grown to produce 15 shows across 14 cities in North America. Each show features performing artists of all types and is coordinated yearly by a group of very committed volunteers. This was Kollaboration New York’s 7th year producing the show.
Last Friday, NYU student John Quiwa was crowned Kollaboration New York 2012 Champion and New Jersey based dance crew – The Mooks, took second place and won the $500 cash prize with their performance. Quiwa will fly to Los Angeles in November to compete in the Kollaboration Global Show.
Other contestants included John-Flor Sisante, Justin Kim, Bea Go, Izzy Salinel, and UFP.
The show was hosted by comedian, Jen Kwok and guest judges for the competition were Vibe.com Online Music Editor – Mikey Fresh, HOT97 News Director – Miss Info, Co-Founder of Wong Fu Productions – Ted Fu and Spoken Word Poetry Artist – Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai. Guest performers included KollabNY 2011 Champion – Wanted Ashiqz, KollabNY 2011 contestant – Mitchell Grey, and musician Gabe Bondoc who currently has over 42 million views on YouTube.
When asked about the panel’s judging criteria, Mikey Fresh answered, “I’m looking for raw-talent. I need to see the wow-factor.” Ted Fu noted, “Charisma and the ability to perform well” are what he looks for in the competitors.
There were several highlights from the show. Wanted Ashiqz integrated Gangnam style into their choreography, which caused the audience to dance along in their seats. Competitor Justin Kim showcased his romantic side by using his 5-minute stage time to ask a special girl in the audience to be his new girlfriend. Because there were children in the audience, comedian Jen Kwok made the crowd roar into laughter by singing a censored version of “Date An Asian.”
All of the competitors did amazing and they were a testament to the public that New York is full of talent. It was a truly an event of “empowerment through entertainment” that needs to be continually supported. We’ll be sure to catch new rising stars at Kollaboration New York 2013.
To find out how you can compete and be involved with Kollaboration New York 2013, be on the look out for applications on
http://www.kollaborationnewyork.org
http://www.facebook.com/kollabny
http://www.twitter.com/kollabny
View more photos of the event from the Kollaboration Media Team and CineVue below:
